Oklahoma City, OK – Under the lights at the Oklahoma State Fair Park, Craig Schmersal bested some of the top reiners in the country to win the 2008 Adequan®/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Open Reining Championship presented by Equine Motorcoach. Schmersal, an Oklahoma native, won the title along with his share of the $25,000 in added money. The USEF championship was part of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby. This is Schmersal’s second time...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – There was no one busier than Steffen Peters at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions today and he saved his best performance for last. Peters rode Ravel to another win in the third leg of the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship (which also serves as the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage) with a score of 75.25%. The 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding continues to impress everyone on hand at...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee today announced NBC, broadcast home of the Olympic Games through 2012, will serve as the network host for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Presented by Allstate. The made-for-television event will be recorded June 19 during an awards ceremony at the Harris Theater in Chicago, Ill., and will be aired Sunday, August 3, 2008 on NBC from 1:30pm to 3:00pm ET. As part of the broadcast coverage, viewers will be treated to competition...

Mike Plumb Will Join the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008 (USEF Archive) By USOC Media and Public Relations Division Chicago, Ill. - Karch Kiraly, three-time U.S. Olympian in volleyball (1984, 1988 and 1996) and three-time gold medalist, leads the distinguished Class of 2008 that will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Presented by Allstate. The induction ceremony will take place June 19 in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 is comprised of nine Olympians, one...

Armani and Jeffery Welles in Action at the USEF Selection Trials for Show Jumping (Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com) by Joanie Morris Wellington, FL - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming the horse/rider combination of Armani/Jeffrey Welles to the Show Jumping Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong August 8-24, 2008. As per the USEF Selection Procedure for the Show Jumping Team, the Selectors have the discretion to recommend...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming the horse/rider combinations of Authentic/Beezie Madden and Sapphire/McLain Ward to Beezie Madden and Authentic (Bob Langrish) the Show Jumping Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong August 8-24, 2008. Per the USEF Selection Procedure for the Show Jumping Team, the Selectors have the discretion to recommend up to four of the 10 horse/rider combinations to the Short List...

Theodore O'Connor wins the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year Award. (Geoff Oliver Bugbee/USEF Archives ) Louisville, KY—Among the regalia of the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) historic Horse of the Year Awards program and black tie gala, eventing champion and newly-crowned star Theodore O’Connor was named the 2007 Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, KY. Bred by P. Wynn Norman and owned by Theodore...

New! Lightweight! Eco-friendly! Searchable! Lexington, KY — Those USEF members who wish to receive a 2008 USEF Rule Book now have a choice of formats. Beginning with the 2008 competition year, the entire USEF Rule Book will be available on a convenient USB flash drive commonly known as a “memory stick.” This initiative is sponsored by the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. When you renew your membership for 2008, and if you desire a USEF Rule Book , you can choose to either...

Lexington, KY – The USEF is thrilled to report huge success for the Developing Young Rider Tour at the CSIO4* in Hamina, Finland. The show jumping squad made up of Brianne Goutal (Onira), Sarah Segal (True Love), Eliza Shuford (Larentino) and Georgina Bloomberg (Mila) impressively won the Nation’s Cup on June 17. This was a major victory for the women on the tour who are getting valuable international team experience through the program under the watchful eye of Chef d’Equipe Melanie...

(Lexington, KY) – The USEF has formed a Task Force to review current safety procedures at USEF competitions and to make recommendations to the USEF Safety Committee regarding possible changes to safety standards for licensed competitions, regardless of breed or discipline. “The USEF consistently monitors safety standards, they are not static, and they will consistently change with the growth of our sport and the technology available,” said Andrew Ellis, Co-Chairman of the Task Force and a...